Pro Wrestling
Advertisement
Pro Wrestling

Suzuki-gun (literally translated to "Suzuki Army") was a heel professional wrestling stable that primarily competed in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The group was originally founded in December 2010 by IWGP Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima as "Kojima Army", but in May 2011, the members of the stable turned on Kojima and appointed Minoru Suzuki as their new leader. Members of Suzuki-gun have wrestled for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, IWGP Tag Team Championship, IWGP Intercontinental Championship, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith, Jr. are former holders of the IWGP and NWA World Tag Team Championships, while Taichi and Taka Michinoku are former holders of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, while Archer and Minoru Suzuki also won the 2011 G1 Tag League.

History[]

Kojima-gun (2010–2011)[]

On December 12, 2010, Taichi returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) from his latest excursion to Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), accompanying IWGP Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima to a match, where he successfully defended his title against Shinsuke Nakamura. Kojima continued teaming with Taichi during the following week's events, and on December 23, the two were also joined by freelancer Nosawa Rongai and Kaientai Dojo's Taka Michinoku. On January 28, 2011, Kojima officially named the group "Kojima-gun". On February 20 at The New Beginning, the debuting MVP became the fifth member of Kojima-gun, in storyline being brought to the group by Nosawa using his American connections. However, prior to MVP's debut, Nosawa took a hiatus from professional wrestling altogether, after being arrested under suspicion of stealing a taxi.

Suzukigun (2011–present)[]

Formation and initial feuds (2011-2013)[]

After losing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom V, Kojima suffered another big loss against longtime rival Togi Makabe on May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2011. Following the match, Michinoku and Taichi entered the ring and attacked Kojima, who, however, quickly took care of both of them. This led to the surprise return of freelancer Minoru Suzuki, who appeared behind Kojima and locked him in a sleeper hold, before leaving the ringside area with Michinoku and Taichi, who proclaimed Suzuki as their new leader and renamed the stable "Suzuki-gun". On May 15, during the Invasion Tour 2011, New Japan's first tour of the United States, Lance Archer made his debut for the promotion, attacking Kojima after a match, before being chased away by former Kojima-gun member MVP. The following day, Archer was officially named a member of Suzuki-gun. During the following months, Suzuki continued his feud with Kojima, while Archer went up against Togi Makabe and Michinoku and Taichi became a tag team in New Japan's junior heavyweight tag team division. Suzuki's feud with Kojima culminated on July 18 in a grudge match, where Suzuki was victorious, after which he transitioned to feuding with Togi Makabe.

From late October to early November, Suzuki and Archer represented Suzuki-gun in the 2011 G1 Tag League, where they finished second in their round-robin block with four wins and one loss, advancing to the semifinals. On November 6, Suzuki and Archer first defeated CHAOS representatives Shinsuke Nakamura and Toru Yano in the semifinals and then the reigning IWGP Tag Team Champions, Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson), in the finals to win the 2011 G1 Tag League. As a result, Suzuki and Archer were granted a match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship, but were defeated by Bad Intentions in a rematch on November 12 at Power Struggle. During the same event, fellow Suzuki-gun member Taka Michinoku failed in his attempt to take the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship from Prince Devitt. Power Struggle was also the start of a relationship between Suzuki-gun and Suzuki's close friend, Pro Wrestling NOAH representative Yoshihiro Takayama, who began making semi-regular New Japan appearances as a member of the stable. On January 4, 2012, at NJPW 40th Anniversary Tour ~ Wrestle Kingdom VI In Tokyo Dome, Suzuki received his first shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in seven years, but was defeated by Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event of the evening. During Suzuki's chase for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Takayama momentarily took over his feud with Togi Makabe, but their rivalry also ended at Wrestle Kingdom VI in Tokyo Dome in a match, where Makabe was victorious.

On February 12 at The New Beginning, the five members of Suzuki-gun took a dominant 5–1 win over Kushida, Tiger Mask, Togi Makabe, Wataru Inoue and Yuji Nagata in a ten-man elimination tag team match, after which Archer and Takayama challenged Ten-Koji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima) to a match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship. On February 19, at All Together, a charity event co-produced by New Japan, All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah, All Japan's Masayuki Kono made a one-time appearance representing Suzuki-gun. Archer and Takayama received their title shot on March 18, but were unable to dethrone the defending champions. On April 15, the recently debuted Black Tiger won the 2012 Road to the Super Jr.2Days Tournament to earn a spot in the 2012 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. After his win, Michinoku and Taichi welcomed Black Tiger to Suzuki-gun, while also hinting that the man under the mask was a former associate of Minoru Suzuki. On May 23, Kazushige Nosawa, a former member of Kojima-gun and Suzuki's prior stable Suzuki Gundan, was arrested under suspicion of smuggling marijuana from Mexico to Japan. Though all charges against Nosawa were later dropped, New Japan immediately acknowledged that he had been portraying the latest Black Tiger and severed their ties with him. Meanwhile, Michinoku and Taichi had set their sights on the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, but were, on June 16 at Dominion 6.16, defeated by Jushin Liger and Tiger Mask in a match for the vacant title. On July 22, Suzuki, Archer, Michinoku and Taichi picked up another dominant win over Prince Devitt, Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe and Yuji Nagata in an eight-man elimination tag team match, after which Archer again challenged Tenzan and Kojima to a match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship, however, without specifying who his partner would be. On August 13, Harry Smith was revealed as Archer's partner and the newest member of Suzuki-gun. Also in August, Michinoku and Taichi began blaming each other for their recent losses, which led to the two agreeing to a match, where the loser would be expelled from Suzuki-gun. The match took place on August 22 at Michinoku's Kaientai Dojo promotion, but ended without a winner as Minoru Suzuki interrupted the match and got the two men to make peace with each other. Harry Smith made his debut as a member of Suzuki-gun on September 7 in an eight-man tag team match, where he, Lance Archer, Minoru Suzuki and Taka Michinoku were defeated by Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Togi Makabe and Yuji Nagata via disqualification, when Michinoku's Kaientai Dojo trainee Kengo Mashimo entered the ring and attacked Makabe, revealing himself as the newest member of Suzuki-gun. On September 23 at Destruction, Makabe ended his rivalry with Suzuki-gun by defeating Mashimo in a singles match. The following day, Harry Smith was renamed Davey Boy Smith, Jr.

On October 8 at King of Pro-Wrestling, Smith and Archer, now known collectively as K.E.S. (Killer Elite Squad), defeated Tencozy to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship, bringing Suzuki-gun its first title. Later, in the main event of the evening, Minoru Suzuki unsuccessfully challenged Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. K.E.S. made their first successful title defence on November 11 at Power Struggle, defeating Ten-Koji in a rematch. From November 20 to December 1, K.E.S. took part in the round-robin portion of the 2012 World Tag League, finishing with a record of four wins and two losses, advancing to the semifinals of the tournament in the second place in their block, while Suzuki and Mashimo failed to advance from the other block with three wins and three losses. On December 2, K.E.S. defeated Always Hypers (Togi Makabe and Wataru Inoue) to advance to the finals of the tournament. Later that same day, K.E.S. was defeated in the finals of the 2012 World Tag League by Sword & Guns (Hirooki Goto and Karl Anderson). On January 4, 2013, at Wrestle Kingdom 7, K.E.S. successfully defended the IWGP Tag Team Championship against Sword & Guns, while Minoru Suzuki was defeated by Yuji Nagata in another chapter of their long rivalry.

Rivalry with CHAOS (2013-2015)[]

Afterwards, Suzuki-gun began feuding with New Japan's other heel stable, CHAOS. In late January, Taichi was sidelined with a knee injury following a traffic accident, which led to Suzuki-gun recruiting another Taka Michinoku trainee, Hiro Tonai, as his replacement for the February events. After working exclusively against each other in multi-man tag team matches for the first part of February, the rivalry between Suzuki-gun and CHAOS built to two singles matches on February 10 at The New Beginning event, where Kengo Mashimo was defeated by Shinsuke Nakamura, while Minoru Suzuki defeated Kazuchika Okada with help from Taichi. Meanwhile, K.E.S. retained the IWGP Tag Team Championship against Tencozy, after which Archer challenged Nakamura to a match for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. Archer went on to fail in his title challenge on March 3 at New Japan's 41st anniversary event. During the same event, Suzuki-gun and CHAOS faced off in a four-on-four elimination tag team match, where Suzuki-gun was victorious after Suzuki scored the final elimination over Okada. The rivalry between the two stables continued during the 2013 New Japan Cup, with Okada defeating Archer and Smith defeating Nakamura in their first round matches on March 11. Meanwhile, Suzuki also advanced in the tournament with a win over old rival Yuji Nagata, avenging the loss from Wrestle Kingdom 7. The second round of the tournament on March 17 saw two more matches between Suzuki-gun and CHAOS, when Smith eliminated Yujiro Takahashi, while Toru Yano eliminated Minoru Suzuki to advance to the semifinals. Smith, the final Suzuki-gun member left in the New Japan Cup, was eliminated from the tournament by Hirooki Goto in their semifinal match on March 23.

On April 5, K.E.S. made their fourth successful defense of the IWGP Tag Team Championship against CHAOS representatives Shinsuke Nakamura and Tomohiro Ishii. The rivalry between Suzuki-gun and CHAOS continued two days later at Invasion Attack, where Suzuki first defeated Toru Yano to avenge his loss from the second round of the New Japan Cup, and then Smith unsuccessfully challenged Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. The event concluded with Suzuki confronting new IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kazuchika Okada, seemingly as his first challenger for the title. Following the event, TAKA Michinoku announced that Suzuki-gun had recruited a new member to take on Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, noting that he was suitable to challenge for said title. On April 20, the newest member was revealed as former multi-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Shelton X Benjamin. Later that same day, Archer and Smith took part in a National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) event in Houston, Texas, where they defeated The Kingz of the Underground (Ryan Genesis and Scot Summers) to not only retain the IWGP Tag Team Championship, but to also win the NWA World Tag Team Championship. On May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2013, K.E.S. lost the IWGP Tag Team Championship back to Ten-Koji in a four-way match, which also included the CHAOS team of Takashi Iizuka and Toru Yano, and Muscle Orchestra (Manabu Nakanishi and Strong Man), ending their reign at 207 days. Later in the event, Shelton X Benjamin unsuccessfully challenged Shinsuke Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, while the main event saw Minoru Suzuki fail in his challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Kazuchika Okada.

Suzuki then got involved in a rivalry with CHAOS member Tomohiro Ishii, which built to a singles match between the two on July 20 at Kizuna Road Night 9, where Suzuki was victorious. That same event, Taichi and Michinoku unsuccessfully challenged CHAOS members Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov and Rocky Romero) for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. From August 1 to 11, Suzuki, Archer, Benjamin and Smith took part in the 2013 G1 Climax, with Archer and Smith wrestling in Block A and Benjamin and Suzuki in Block B. Both Suzuki and Smith entered the final day with a chance to advance to the finals, however, Suzuki was eliminated after losing to Toru Yano, while Smith was eliminated after a loss against Archer. On October 14 at King of Pro-Wrestling, Taichi and Michinoku won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for the first time, when they, replacing KUSHIDA and the injured Alex Shelley, who had earlier defeated them in a number one contender's match, defeated Forever Hooligans for the title. Meanwhile, after avenging his G1 Climax loss against Toru Yano that same event, Suzuki made a challenge for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship with the added stipulation that should Shinsuke Nakamura lose the title to him, he would have to join Suzuki-gun. After a reign of only 26 days, Taichi and Michinoku lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship to The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) on November 9 at Power Struggle. Later that same event, K.E.S. took part in a two-fall three-way match against Tencozy and the team of Jax Dane and Rob Conway. In the first fall, they lost the NWA World Tag Team Championship to Dane and Conway, but came back in the second to defeat Tencozy for the IWGP Tag Team Championship. Also during the event, Suzuki failed in his IWGP Intercontinental Championship challenge against Nakamura.

On November 24, two Suzuki-gun teams entered the 2013 World Tag League, competing in two separate blocks; K.E.S. in Block A and Suzuki and Benjamin in Block B. K.E.S. won their block with a record of five wins and one loss, while Suzuki and Benjamin were eliminated with a record of three wins and three losses after losing to Takashi Iizuka and Toru Yano in their final round-robin match. On December 8, K.E.S. was also eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals by their old rival team, Tencozy. On January 4, 2014, at Wrestle Kingdom 8, K.E.S. lost the IWGP Tag Team Championship to the winners of the tournament, BULLET CLUB (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson). Also during the event, Michinoku and Taichi unsuccessfully challenged The Young Bucks for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in a four-way match and Suzuki continued his feud with Toru Yano, with him and Benjamin losing to Yano and The Great Muta in a tag team match. K.E.S. received a rematch for the IWGP Tag Team Championship on February 9 at The New Beginning in Hiroshima, but were again defeated by BULLET CLUB. Suzuki and Yano continued their rivalry for the next few months, leading to a tag team match at Back to the Yokohama Arena on May 25, where Yano's longtime tag team partner Takashi Iizuka turned on him during a tag team match, where they faced Suzuki and Benjamin, and jumped to Suzuki-gun. During the same event, K.E.S. failed in their attempt to regain the NWA World Tag Team Championship from Tencozy in a three-way match, which also included Rob Conway and Wes Brisco. On June 9, New Japan suspended Taichi for two months with a 30% pay cut for "behavioural problems", after he had been caught cheating on his wife. On June 21 at Dominion 6.21, K.E.S. received another shot at the NWA World Tag Team Championship, this time in a regular tag team match, but were again defeated by Tencozy. On July 4, El Desperado joined Suzuki-gun, announcing his intention of bringing the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to the stable. From July 21 to August 8, four members of Suzuki-gun took part in the 2014 G1 Climax, with Benjamin and Smith wrestling in Block A and Suzuki and Archer in Block B. All four failed to advance from their blocks with Benjamin finishing tied fifth and Smith eighth in their block of eleven and Suzuki finishing fourth and Archer tied sixth in their block. Following the tournament, Suzuki transitioned from Yano, who was busy feuding with Iizuka, to a new rivalry with Kazushi Sakuraba, who had come to Yano's aid in the aftermath of Iizuka's turn. During September's Destruction tour, Suzukigun's three junior heavyweight members set their sights on both of NJPW's junior heavyweight titles. On September 23 at Destruction in Okayama, El Desperado and Taichi failed in their attempt to capture the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship from the Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and KUSHIDA).

At King of Pro-Wrestling, K.E.S. regained the NWA World Tag Team Championship after defeating Tencozy. Also that night, El Desperado failed to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship from Ryusuke Taguchi. El Desperado and Taichi would compete in the 2014 Super Junior Tag Tournament, defeating Fuego and Taguchi in the first round, before they were eliminated in the semi-finals by The Young Bucks. In the first round of the tournament, Taichi had pinned Taguchi, earning himself an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match at Power Struggle, however, Taichi was defeated at the event. Throughout November and December, two Suzuki-gun teams took part in the 2014 World Tag League, with both K.E.S. and Minoru Suzuki and Takashi Iizuka competing in Block B. Both teams failed to advance to the final as K.E.S. finished with eight points, while Suzuki and Iizuka finished with seven. On January 4, 2015, at Wrestle Kingdom 9, Suzuki ended his feud with Kazushi Sakuraba, defeating him in a bout where the only way to win was by knockout or submission. The next day, at New Year Dash, Jushin Thunder Liger defeated El Desperado to retain the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.

Invasion of Pro Wrestling NOAH (2015-2016)[]

Following Wrestle Kingdom 9, Suzuki declared war on Pro Wrestling NOAH due to Naomichi Marufuji and TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste) teaming up with Toru Yano in a match against Suzuki-gun. On January 10 at NOAH event New Year Navigation, following Marufuji's victory over Satoshi Kojima, Suzuki-gun ambushed Marufuji, with Suzuki hitting a Gotch-Style Piledriver on Marufuji. Suzuki-gun members made their in-ring debut for NOAH two days later at The First Navigation Night 1. Suzuki-gun continued to compete in NOAH, and on February 11 at Great Voyage In Nagoya, the card included a number of matches featuring Suzuki-gun members taking on the NOAH roster. In the main event, K.E.S. defeated TMDK to win the GHC Tag Team Championship. At Great Voyage In Tokyo, El Desperado and TAKA Michinoku won the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in a Three Way Tag Team Match, Taichi won the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship from Atsushi Kotoge, K.E.S. retained the GHC Tag Team Championship against TMDK, and Suzuki won the GHC Heavyweight Championship from Marufuji.

As a result of Suzuki-gun's dominance, each stable in NOAH banded together against Suzuki-gun. Also, Yoshihiro Takayama would leave Suzuki-gun, swearing allegiance to NOAH on March 28. Throughout April and May, two Suzuki-gun teams competed in the 2015 Global Tag League: Suzuki and Iizuka in Block A and K.E.S. in Block B. Shelton Benjamin would also take part in the tournament, partnering with Brian Breaker. Suzuki and Iizuka finished with six points, failing to advance from Block A, while Benjamin and Breaker also finished with six points, failing to advance from Block B. K.E.S. would win Block B with eight points, however, they were defeated in the final by Masato Tanaka and Takashi Sugiura. At Great Voyage In Yokohama on May 10, all of Suzuki-gun's titles were defended. El Desperado and TAKA Michinoku defended the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against Yoshinari Ogawa and Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi retained the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship against Atsushi Kotoge, K.E.S. retained the GHC Tag Team Championship against Global Tag League winners Tanaka and Sugiura, while Suzuki retained the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Naomichi Marufuji.

On June 9, at We Are SUZUKI-GUN, a show produced by Suzuki-gun, K.E.S. retained the NWA World Tag Team Championship against Tencozy. At Mitsuharu Misawa Memorial Tour Night 4 on June 15, Suzuki successfully defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Maybach Taniguchi. After the bout, former Suzuki-gun member Yoshihiro Takayama challenged Suzuki to a match. On July 18 at Summer Navigation - Night 1, Suzuki defeated Takayama to retain the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Also that night, El Desperado and TAKA Michinoku began competing in the 2015 Global Junior Heavyweight League, which continued throughout July and August. El Desperado finished with eight points in Block A, failing to advance, while Michinoku also failed to advance, finishing with six points in Block B. At Great Voyage In Osaka, Taichi defeated Global Junior Heavyweight League winner Daisuke Harada to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship, K.E.S. retained the GHC Tag Team Championship against War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe), and Suzuki successfully defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Takashi Sugiura. As a result of Suzuki's win, Naomichi Marufuji would demand another shot at Suzuki and the GHC Heavyweight Championship. However, Suzuki accepted on the condition that if Marufuji lost against him, Pro Wrestling NOAH would be dissolved.

Also at the time, El Desperado and TAKA Michinoku had advanced to the final of the 2015 NTV G+ Cup Junior Heavyweight Tag League, but were defeated in the final by Atsushi Kotoge and Daisuke Harada on September 22 at Shiny Navigation Night 8. This resulted in El Desperado and Michinoku losing the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship to Kotoge and Harada on October 4 at Great Voyage In Nagoya, ending Suzuki-gun's championship dominance. In October and November, five members would take part in the 2015 Global League. Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr. both finished with six points in Block A, failing to advance. Meanwhile, in Block B, Iizuka finished with one point and Suzuki finished with eleven points, both failing to advance. Benjamin, however, would win Block B with eleven points, but was defeated in the final by Marufuji. At Destiny on December 23, El Desperado and TAKA Michinoku failed to regain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, while Taichi lost the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship to Taiji Ishimori. K.E.S. successfully retained the GHC Tag Team Championship against Chris Hero and Colt Cabana, while in the main event, Marufuji would dethrone GHC Heavyweight Champion Suzuki, stopping NOAH from dissolving. However, after the match, Takashi Sugiura would turn his back on Marufuji, joining Suzuki-gun in the process.

On January 31, 2016, at Great Voyage In Yokohama, Taichi and TAKA Michinoku failed to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, while K.E.S. retained the GHC Tag Team Championship. During Suzuki's match with Go Shiozaki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru helped Suzuki win the match, turning on NOAH and joining Suzuki-gun. In the main event, Sugiura defeated Marufuji to bring the GHC Heavyweight Championship back to Suzuki-gun. The following month, Kanemaru would win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship from Taiji Ishimori. Suzuki-gun would go on to produce another We Are SUZUKI-GUN event on March 27. In April and May, three teams from Suzuki-gun competed in the 2016 Global Tag League. Suzuki and Iizuka finished with six points while Benjamin and Sugiura finished with eight points and thus, both teams failed to advance. However, K.E.S. would top the block with ten points, but were defeated by Marufuji and Yano in the final. This would spell disaster for K.E.S., as they lost the GHC Tag Team Championship to Marufuji and Yano at Great Voyage In Osaka on May 28. Also, in the main event that night, Sugiura lost the GHC Heavyweight Championship to Go Shiozaki. On June 18, a third We Are SUZUKI-GUN event was produced.

From July 16 to July 30, El Desperado and Kanemaru took part in the 2016 NTV G+ Junior Heavyweight Tag League, finishing with four points, failing to advance. Also at the time, Suzuki-gun returned to NJPW, with Taichi and Kanemaru competing in the 2016 Super J Cup. Taichi was eliminated in the semifinal, while Kanemaru was defeated in the final by KUSHIDA. Shelton Benjamin's time with Suzuki-gun came to an end on July 26 after it was announced he was returning to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). On July 30, Sugiura brought the GHC Heavyweight Championship back to Suzuki-gun, defeating Shiozaki in a Lumberjack Match. At Shiny Navigation Night 8, Kanemaru lost the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship to Atsushi Kotoge. Then, on October 23 at Great Voyage In Yokohama Vol. 2, Sugiura lost the GHC Heavyweight Championship to Katsuhiko Nakajima, leaving Suzuki-gun titleless. The next month, five Suzuki-gun members participated in the 2016 Global League. Iizuka and Archer failed to advance from Block A, finishing with two and eight points respectively. In Block B, Sugiura and Davey Boy Smith Jr. both finished with eight points, also failing to advance. Suzuki, however, would win Block A with twelve points before defeating Masa Kitamiya in the final. On the same day Suzuki won the Global League, K.E.S. also won back the GHC Tag Team Championship.

Following his Global League victory, Suzuki challenged GHC Heavyweight Champion Katsuhiko Nakajima to a Loser Leaves NOAH Match. On December 2 at One Night Cruise In Korakuen, Suzuki was defeated by Nakajima, and as a result, had to leave NOAH. Suzuki-gun would show their support for Suzuki following the match, however, Sugiura would turn his back on the stable. The next day, K.E.S. lost the GHC Tag Team Championship to Go Shiozaki and Maybach Taniguchi, while Suzuki was defeated by Sugiura. On December 5, Pro Wrestling NOAH announced Suzuki-gun had left the promotion, ending their two year tenure.

Return to NJPW (2017-2018)[]

At New Year Dash on January 5, 2017, Suzuki-gun returned to NJPW, attacking the participants of a Ten Man Tag Team Match that involved CHAOS. The attack would result in a number of title matches that took place at The New Beginning In Sapporo. At the event, Taichi and TAKA Michinoku failed to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, while K.E.S. failed to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship in a Three Way Tag Team Match. In the main event, Okada defeated Suzuki to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. At The New Beginning In Osaka on February 11, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Iizuka, who filled in for an injured Archer, failed to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship in another Three Way Tag Team Match. The following month, at the 45th Anniversary Show, Taichi and Kanemaru won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship after beating Roppongi Vice (Beretta and Rocky Romero). Also that night, Suzuki and Davey Boy Smith Jr. assisted Zack Sabre Jr. in winning the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship, with Sabre joining Suzuki-gun as a result. At Sakura Genesis, Sabre failed to win the NEVER Openweight Championship from Hirooki Goto, despite interference from Suzuki and El Desperado. As a result, Suzuki faced off with Goto at Road To Wrestling Dontaku Night 5, defeating Goto to win the NEVER Openweight Championship. Also at the event, Taichi and Kanemaru lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to Roppongi Vice.

In July and August, Suzuki and Sabre took part in the 2017 G1 Climax. Both men failed to advance, as Sabre finished with ten points in Block A, while Suzuki finished with nine points in Block B. At Destruction In Kobe on September 24, K.E.S. won a Three Way Tag Team Match to become IWGP Tag Team Champions for a third time. In October, two Suzuki-gun teams took part in the 2017 Super Junior Tag Tournament. Taichi and TAKA Michinoku were eliminated in the first round, while El Desperado and Kanemaru were defeated in the semifinals. In the final two months of the year, two teams represented Suzuki-gun in the 2017 World Tag League. Suzuki and Iizuka failed to advance from Block A, finishing with six points, while K.E.S. failed to advance from Block B, finishing with ten points.

At Wrestle Kingdom 12 on January 4, 2018, K.E.S. lost the IWGP Tag Team Championship to World Tag League winners EVIL and SANADA. This was followed by Suzuki losing the NEVER Openweight Championship back to Hirooki Goto in a Hair vs. Hair Death Match. Later that month at a Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) event, Suzuki and Sabre defeated Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) to win the RevPro Undisputed British Tag Team Championship. Then, at The New Beginning In Sapporo Night 1 on January 27, Suzuki won the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Hiroshi Tanahashi. At the 46th Anniversary Show, El Desperado and Kanemaru won a Three Way Tag Team Match to capture the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. Later that night, Suzuki retained the IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Togi Makabe. Throughout March, four Suzuki-gun members would take part in the 2018 New Japan Cup, with Taichi, Archer, and Davey Boy Smith Jr. all being eliminated in the first round. However, Sabre would advance past the first round, eventually making it to the final, where he defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi on March 21 at New Japan Cup 2018 Night 9. As a result of his victory, Sabre would challenge IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada at Sakura Genesis on April 1, but was defeated.

Later that month, at Wrestling Hinokuni, Tetsuya Naito defeated Suzuki to win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, ending Suzuki's 92 day reign. From May 18 to June 4, El Desperado and Kanemaru competed in the 2018 Best of the Super Juniors. Kanemaru would finish last in Block A with six points, while Desperado also finished with six points in Block B, both failing to advance. At a RevPro event on July 1, Suzuki defeated Tomohiro Ishii to win the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship. In the 2018 G1 Climax that took place during July and August, Sabre and Suzuki represented Suzuki-gun. Sabre finished with twelve points in Block B, while Suzuki finished with ten points in Block A, both failing to advance. At Destruction In Beppu, Taichi won the NEVER Openweight Championship after beating Hirooki Goto. In the main event that followed, Tetsuya Naito defeated Suzuki. On October 14 at RevPro-NJPW Global Wars, Suzuki lost the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship back to Tomohiro Ishii. During the 2018 Super Junior Tag League, El Desperado and Kanemaru represented Suzuki-gun, winning the block with ten points, advancing to the final. The final, a Three Way Tag Team Match, took place on November 3 at Power Struggle, with El Desperado and Kanemaru failing to win. Also that night, Taichi lost the NEVER Openweight Championship to Hirooki Goto, Suzuki failed to regain the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship, and Sabre was defeated by Tetsuya Naito. In the final two months of 2018, three teams from Suzuki-gun competed in the 2018 World Tag League. Suzuki and Iizuka finished with ten points, Sabre and Taichi finished with sixteen points, while K.E.S. finished with eighteen, all failing to advance.

Various championship reigns (2019-2021)[]

At Wrestle Kingdom 13 on January 4, 2019, El Desperado and Kanemaru lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in a Three Way Tag Team Match, while Sabre defeated Tomohiro Ishii to win the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship for a third time. The next day, at New Year Dash, Suzuki-gun won a Ten Man Tag Team Match against Los Ingobernables de Japón after Taichi pinned Tetsuya Naito, the IWGP Intercontinental Champion. This would result in a number of title matches for Suzuki-gun at The New Beginning In Sapporo Night 2 on February 3. Firstly, El Desperado and Kanemaru failed to regain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship from BUSHI and Shingo Takagi. Then, Suzuki and Sabre were unsuccessful in winning the IWGP Tag Team Championship from EVIL and SANADA. Finally, in the main event, Tetsuya Naito defeated Taichi to retain the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.

During a press conference earlier in the year on January 7, NJPW Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi announced that Takashi Iizuka would be retiring the following month. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, a former tag team partner of Iizuka, would attempt to mend fences with him and return him to his previous, normal self. On February 21, at New Japan Road - Takashi Iizuka Retirement Show, Iizuka wrestled his final match, partnering with Suzuki and Taichi in a loss to Tenzan, Okada, and Yano. After the match, Iizuka briefly shared a handshake with Tenzan, however, Iizuka would attack Tenzan. Suzuki-gun would assist Iizuka, holding up Tenzan, allowing Iizuka to hit him with the iron glove. Following this, Taichi would then adopt the glove.

In March, five Suzuki-gun members took part in the 2019 New Japan Cup. Davey Boy Smith Jr. was eliminated in the first round, while Taichi, Archer, and Suzuki were eliminated in the second round. Sabre would be the only Suzuki-gun member to advance past the second round, however, he was eliminated in the quarterfinal by Hiroshi Tanahashi. The 2019 New Japan Cup would be Davey Boy Smith Jr.'s final tour with NJPW and Suzuki-gun, as he left the company in June. At the G1 Supercard on April 6, Sabre faced Tanahashi again, this time defeating him to retain the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship. The following month, at Wrestling Dontaku Night 1, Taichi won the NEVER Openweight Championship for a second time after defeating Jeff Cobb. A week later at a RevPro show, Suzuki and Sabre lost the RevPro Undisputed British Tag Team Championship to Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis). Before the 2019 Best of the Super Juniors, El Desperado had to withdraw from the tournament due to an injury. As a result, DOUKI, Suzuki-gun's newest member, replaced him. DOUKI would finish with just two points in Block B, while Kanemaru finished with six points in Block A, both failing to advance. TAKA Michinoku was also forced to withdraw from the tournament, forfeiting his final three matches due to a leg injury.

At Dominion 6.9, Taichi's NEVER Openweight Championship reign was ended by Tomohiro Ishii. In July and August, three Suzuki-gun representatives entered the 2019 G1 Climax. Sabre and Archer, both in Block A, finished with eight and six points respectively, failing to advance. Meanwhile, in Block B, Taichi ended the tournament with eight points, also failing to advance. At Royal Quest on August 31, Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Sabre, ending his RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship reign. Following this, Suzuki unsuccessfully challenged IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada. The following month, at Destruction In Beppu, Sabre regained the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship after defeating Tanahashi. El Desperado would return from injury at King of Pro Wrestling on October 14, teaming up with Kanemaru to defeat Roppongi 3K (SHO and YOH). Later that night, Archer defeated Juice Robinson in a No Disqualification Match to win the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. Following this, from October 16 to November 1, El Desperado and Kanemaru competed in the 2019 Best of the Super Juniors. They would win the block with ten points, however, were defeated by Roppongi 3K in the final at Power Struggle on November 3.

To close out 2019, two Suzuki-gun teams took part in the World Tag League. Both Suzuki and Archer and Sabre and Taichi finished with eighteen points, failing to advance.

On January 4, 2020, at Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night 1, Archer lost the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship to Jon Moxley in a Texas Death Match. On the following night of Wrestle Kingdom, El Desperado, Taichi, and Kanemaru failed to win the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship in a Gauntlet Match, while Sabre would retain the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship against SANADA later in the night. Also that night, following Moxley's win over Juice Robinson, Suzuki challenged Moxley to an IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Match. The match would take place on February 9 at The New Beginning In Osaka, which saw Moxley defeat Suzuki. On February 14, at a RevPro event, Sabre lost the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship to Will Ospreay. On February 21, at New Japan Road Night 2, Sabre and Taichi, now dubbed Dangerous Tekkers, attacked new IWGP Tag Team Champions Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi. Also around this time, Archer would leave Japan to compete for All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Following NJPW's return in June after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, five Suzuki-gun members took part in the 2020 New Japan Cup. El Desperado, Suzuki, and Sabre were eliminated in the first round. Kanemaru was next to be eliminated after losing to Taiji Ishimori in the second round. Taichi would then be eliminated by SANADA in the quarterfinals. At Dominion 7.12, Dangerous Tekkers won the IWGP Tag Team Championship from Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi. At Summer Struggle In Jingu, Suzuki became a two-time NEVER Openweight Champion after defeating Shingo Takagi. Also that night, El Desperado competed in a Four Way Match to determine the inaugural King of Pro-Wrestling (KOPW) Champion, but failed to win. On September 11, at New Japan Road Night 10, El Desperado and Kanemaru captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for a second time after beating BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi in a tournament final.

From September 19 to October 18, three Suzuki-gun members took part in the 2020 G1 Climax. Taichi and Suzuki, both in Block A, finished with eight and six points respectively, failing to advance. In Block B, Sabre finished with ten points, also failing to advance. On November 7 at Power Struggle, Suzuki lost the NEVER Openweight Championship to Shingo Takagi. From November 15 to December 11, the 2020 Best of the Super Juniors and 2020 World Tag League took place in tandem. In the Best of the Super Juniors, El Desperado won the block with fourteen points, however, was defeated in the final by Hiromu Takahashi. DOUKI also took part in the tournament, finishing with four points. Kanemaru was also scheduled to compete in the tournament, but was pulled out due to injury. Meanwhile, in the World Tag League, Dangerous Tekkers racked up twelve points, but it was not enough to advance.

On January 4, 2021, at Wrestle Kingdom 15 Night 1, Dangerous Tekkers lost the IWGP Tag Team Championship to Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa). On Night 2 of Wrestle Kingdom, El Desperado and Kanemaru retained the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi. Later that month, at Road To The New Beginning Night 5, El Desperado and Kanemaru lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori of BULLET CLUB. However, El Desperado and Kanemaru would regain the championship at Road To Castle Attack Night 8 on February 25. Three days later at Castle Attack Night 2, El Desperado won the vacant IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in a Three Way Match.

In March, three Suzuki-gun members took part in the 2021 New Japan Cup. Taichi was eliminated in the first round, while Suzuki and Sabre were both eliminated in the second round. On April 4 at Sakura Genesis, El Desperado and Kanemaru lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship to Roppongi 3K. At Road To Dominion Night 1, Dangerous Tekkers regained the IWGP Tag Team Championship. After two successful defences, El Desperado lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to Robbie Eagles at Wrestle Grand Slam In Tokyo Dome on July 25. In August, El Desperado and Kanemaru competed in the 2021 Super Junior Tag League, winning the block and the tournament with eight points. The following month, at Wrestle Grand Slam In MetLife Dome Night 2, El Desperado and Kanemaru won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for a fourth time.

Appearances for All Elite Wrestling and disbandment (2021-2022)[]

At AEW event All Out 2021, Suzuki debuted for the company, attacking Jon Moxley. Suzuki made his in-ring debut on the September 8 episode of Dynamite, losing to Moxley. In AEW, Suzuki was reunited with Archer, bringing him back into Suzuki-gun. On the September 24 episode of Rampage, Suzuki and Archer were defeated by Moxley and Eddie Kingston in a Lights Out Match. Suzuki and Archer faced off with Kingston and Moxley again in a Street Fight on the November 27 episode of NJPW STRONG, which Suzuki and Archer won.

At around the same time, the 2021 G1 Climax was taking place from September 18 to October 21. Two Suzuki-gun members took part in the tournament, as Sabre finished with twelve points in Block A, while Taichi accumulated six points in Block B, both failing to advance. On October 26, at Road To Power Struggle Night 3, El Desperado and Kanemaru lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship to Flying Tiger (Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask). At Power Struggle on November 6, El Desperado won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for a second time after defeating Eagles. Later that night, Sabre challenged IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi in a losing effort. To close out 2021, the Best of the Super Juniors and World Tag League tournaments once again took place in tandem. Best of the Super Juniors saw DOUKI, Kanemaru, and El Desperado all compete in the tournament, racking up six, eight, and thirteen points respectively, all failing to advance. In the World Tag League, Suzuki and TAKA Michinoku finished with zero points, while Dangerous Tekkers finished with sixteen points, both failing to advance.

On January 4, 2022, at Wrestle Kingdom 16 Night 1, Dangerous Tekkers lost the IWGP Tag Team Championship to Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI, while El Desperado retained the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Best of the Super Juniors winner Hiromu Takahashi. The following night, on Night 2 of Wrestle Kingdom, Suzuki won the Provisional KOPW Trophy after winning a Four Way Match. Suzuki would hold the trophy until February 20, losing it to Toru Yano in a Dog Cage Match. In March, five Suzuki-gun members took part in the 2022 New Japan Cup. El Desperado and TAKA Michinoku were both eliminated in the first round, while Suzuki, who had a bye to the second round, was eliminated in said round. Taichi was next eliminated, losing to Kazuchika Okada in the third round. Sabre would make his way to the final, defeating Tetsuya Naito to win the tournament. On April 9, at Hyper Battle Night 5, Sabre challenged IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Okada in a losing effort. Also that night, Taichi won the Provisional KOPW Trophy after defeating Toru Yano in a No Rope Ring Out Match. After a 16 day reign, Taichi lost the trophy to Shingo Takagi in a 30 Count Match at Golden Fight Series Night 7.

Also in April, at Ring of Honor (ROH) event Supercard of Honor, Suzuki defeated Rhett Titus to win the ROH World Television Championship. Suzuki would hold the title for 12 days, losing it to Samoa Joe on the April 13 episode of Dynamite. At Wrestling Dontaku on May 1, El Desperado lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to Taiji Ishimori. During the 2022 Best of the Super Juniors, three members of Suzuki-gun took part in the tournament. Kanemaru racked up eight points in Block A, while DOUKI picked up six points in Block B, both failing to advance. El Desperado, however, would win Block B with twelve points, but was defeated in the final by Hiromu Takahashi.

On June 26, on the AEW-NJPW Forbidden Door pre-show, Archer defeated Nick Comoroto while El Desperado and Kanemaru lost to Swerve In Our Glory (Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland). On the main card, Suzuki teamed up with Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara of The Jericho Appreciation Society to defeat Eddie Kingston, Shota Umino, and Wheeler Yuta. Later, Sabre was defeated by Claudio Castagnoli, who was selected by Bryan Danielson to be Sabre's mystery opponent. During the 2022 G1 Climax, three Suzuki-gun members represented the stable in the tournament. Archer accumulated six points in Block A, Taichi racked up four points in Block B, while Sabre finished with eight points in Block C, all failing to advance. At Royal Quest II Night 2 on October 16, Sabre was defeated by Tetsuya Naito, the man who had prevented him from advancing in the 2022 G1 Climax.

Also in October, following the creation of the NJPW WORLD Television Championship, Sabre competed in a tournament to determine the inaugural champion. Sabre would advance to the final, facing Ren Narita at Wrestle Kingdom 17. In November and December, the World Tag League and Super Junior Tag League took place in tandem. In the World Tag League, Suzuki and Archer finished with eight points, failing to advance. Meanwhile, in the Super Junior Tag League, Kanemaru and DOUKI also finished with eight points, failing to advance as well.

On December 14, Suzuki announced that Suzuki-gun would be disbanding by the end of the year. Suzuki-gun's final match took place on December 23 at Road To Tokyo Dome 2023 Night 2. DOUKI, Taichi, Kanemaru, and Sabre defeated El Desperado, Archer, Suzuki, and Michinoku in an Eight Man Tag Team Match after Sabre pinned Suzuki. Following the bout, each member would thank Suzuki before posing with the Suzuki-gun flag. They would be joined by Takashi Iizuka, who also joined the pose, bringing an end to Suzuki-gun.

Members[]

Suzuki-gun[]

Member Time
Minoru Suzuki (leader) May 3, 2011 – December 23, 2022
Black Tiger April 15, 2012 - May 25, 2012
Davey Boy Smith Jr. September 7, 2012 - June 16, 2019
DOUKI May 10, 2019 - December 23, 2022
El Desperado July 4, 2014 - December 23, 2022
Hiro Tonai February 2, 2013 - February 12, 2013
Kengo Mashimo September 7, 2012 - March 3, 2013
Lance Archer May 15, 2011 - February 24, 2020
September 15, 2021 - December 23, 2022
Shelton X Benjamin April 20, 2013 - July 26, 2016
Taichi May 3, 2011 - December 23, 2022
TAKA Michinoku May 3, 2011 - December 23, 2022
Takashi Iizuka May 25, 2014 - February 21, 2019
Takashi Sugiura December 23, 2015 - December 2, 2016
Yoshihiro Takayama October 10, 2011 - March 28, 2015
Yoshinobu Kanemaru January 31, 2016 - December 23, 2022
Zack Sabre Jr. March 6, 2017 - December 23, 2022

Kojimagun[]

Member Time
Satoshi Kojima (leader) January 28, 2011 – May 3, 2011
MVP February 20, 2011 – May 3, 2011
Nosawa Rongai January 28, 2011 – February 20, 2011
Taichi January 28, 2011 – May 3, 2011
Taka Michinoku January 28, 2011 – May 3, 2011

In wrestling[]

  • Sabre's finishing moves
    • Zack Driver / Sabre Driver (Michinoku Driver II)
    • Article 50 (Cross armbreaker)
    • Orienteering with Napalm Death (Argentine leglock / calf slicer combination)
    • Jim Breaks Special / Jim Breaks Armbar (Omoplata / wristlock combination)
    • Hypernormalisation (Double wrist-clutch reverse octopus hold)
    • Young Boy Killer (Double leg-trap chickenwing inverted facelock)
    • Hurrah! Another Year, Surely This One Will Be Better Than the Last; The Inexorable March of Progress Will Lead Us All to Happiness (Double wrist-clutch octopus hold)
    • European Clutch (Double pumphandle armwringer into a bridging inverted jackknife pin)
    • Cremation Lily (Double omoplata / figure-four stump puller combination)
  • Entrance themes
    • "Kaze ni Nare" by Ayumi Nakamura
    • "Ichiban" by Yonosuke Kitamura

Championships and accomplishments[]

Kojima-gun

Suzuki-gun

  • Taka & Taichi Box Office
    • Suzuki-gun Super J-Cup Qualifying League (2016) – Kanemaru and Taichi
  • Tokyo Sports
    • Outstanding Performance Award (2015) – Suzuki

External links[]

Advertisement